“Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” Episode 36: Leading a Christian University in a Modern Age
We are living in an era of tremendous technological, cultural, and social change. Yet, as Christians, we are called to cling to timeless biblical truths and look to how Jesus treated others.
Living life with ‘winsome conviction’ is how Barry Corey, President of Biola University, describes Biola’s approach to reconciliation between Christians and non-Christians and even within the Christian community itself. He recently joined a podcast conversation with Blue Trust sports and entertainment advisor Colby Gilmore and private wealth advisor Neil Paur about how he reconciles his faith and beliefs with the challenges of leading a prominent Christian university in the modern age.
Healing in a Fractured World
Biola’s Winsome Conviction Project is committed to helping foster conversations that deepen — rather than tear apart — relationships. By approaching differences with kindness and humility, Christians can help heal a fractured church and nation, foster civility, and bring biblical compassion to public debates.
Barry Corey describes the effective practice of winsome conviction as, “having a firm center with soft edges.” In other words, your convictions may be firm, but you can live them out with hospitality, kindness, and graciousness toward those who think or vote differently than you do.
Corey believes that unproductive conflict can occur when Christians have a firm center but hard edges; that is, firm beliefs expressed in a rigid and inflexible manner are unlikely to be winsome to others. At the same time, having a soft center and soft edges leaves us vulnerable to spiritual weakness.
“At Biola, we want our students to graduate with backbone, with spine, and with an ability to defend their core beliefs,” he said. “However, we need the best of the firm center and the best of the soft edges. Kindness is about being obedient to the model of Christ. When we live that way, it’s radical. Kindness and selflessness have the power to mend broken relationships, reconcile racial conflict, and even bring nations together.”
Intersecting Kindness with Generosity
Corey further explained how Christians can have influence through a spirit of generosity. “In the outback of Australia, there are two kinds of ranches. One has a fence around the outside to keep the cattle in. The other has a well to draw the cattle in,” he said. “While I certainly think we need fences in terms of theological boundaries and affirmations, there’s a power in looking at what centers us and draws us together with common ground. As people of God, Christ is our center.”
In a culture that often looks at money as an indicator of worth, a guarantee of contentment, a measure of success, or perhaps even a reward for godly living, Christians must cling to their true worth that comes from Christ. When it comes to money, “We’re free to enjoy it, but God gave it to us for a purpose, and that’s to deploy it,” Corey said. “The Bible says, ‘they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that’s truly life.’ When we trust God and act by faith, and when we give away something we could hold onto ourselves, it frees us up. As we exercise the gift of generosity, it influences other people and a society that’s broken and hurting.”
For more information about living generously, please contact a Blue Trust advisor or learn more about Blue Trust’s mission regarding generosity.
“Kindness is about being obedient to the model of Christ. When we live that way, it’s radical. Kindness and selflessness have the power to mend broken relationships, reconcile racial conflict, and even bring nations together.”
– Dr. Barry Corey
In our “Wisdom for Wealth. For Life.” podcast series, we share financial advice and wisdom from our network of wealth advisors, thought leaders in the industry, and our community of over 10,000 financially blessed families who apply biblical wisdom to their financial planning and giving.
The podcast is available across most major podcast networks. If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating the podcast and sharing it with friends and family wherever you listen to podcasts:
Thank you and we hope you will enjoy this exclusive content!
